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DeKalb County Schools seeks community input on the future
DeKalb County Schools is hosting what it’s calling a “community engagement session” on Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 6-9 p.m. at the school system’s headquarters in Stone Mountain.
My source tells me the meeting will begin with remarks from the newly hired superintendent, Dr. Cheryl L. H. Atkinson. Then, those attending the meeting will be broken out into smaller groups to discuss what they think the future should look like in DeKalb County Schools.
The school system hosted similar meetings last year, but those were focused on infrastructure and facilities. This week’s session promises to focus on curriculum and learning.
Whether you think your school is doing a great, mediocre or lousy job in gifted education, I believe it’s worth coming to this meeting so that the gifted community is represented. If you can’t attend the meeting, you will be able to complete a survey on the school district’s web site Sept. 21-30.
Registration now open for DeKalb’s Serendipity summer program
This information is from 2011. See the 2012 Serendipity information.
DeKalb County has opened registration for the 2011 Serendipity summer program for gifted children. The camp serves children in grades 1-7 who were in their school’s gifted program during the 2010-11 school year. Programming includes science, art and writing courses.
This summer, the program is being held at Midvale Elementary School. Kids in 1st – 3rd grades will attend June 13-17; students in 4th – 7th grades have camp June 20-24. Registration is $100 per student. The deadline to register is May 13.
I still haven’t found any information about the program on the county web site. If your child is eligible to attend, he or she should bring home a brochure from school which describes the program in full detail. If you don’t receive one this week, ask your school’s gifted teacher or principal, or call the county office at (678) 676-0238.
Enrollment for DeKalb school lotteries begins Monday
Hoping to send your child to one of DeKalb’s magnet schools for high achievers next year? Or maybe a charter or International Baccalaureate school?
Open enrollment begins Monday for most of the county’s magnet, Monetssori and charter schools. You can register for the lottery at the school of your choice through the online parent portal.
(Note: To use online registration, you will need an account with the ePortal system. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one, but you will need to enter your child’s student number and GTID number. These can be found on your child’s progress report, or you can contact your school’s registrar for the information.)
Enrollment will remain open through April 1. The lotteries will be held in May and early June.
School choice application calendar for DeKalb County
The DeKalb County web site lists three dozen magnet, charter and theme schools, offering everything from emphasis in science, to the Montessori teaching method, to magnet schools for high achieving students.
The enrollment season has begun for Arabia Mountain High School and the county’s theme schools. Registration for these schools will close Feb. 11.
The open enrollment period for magnet, charter, Montessori and International Baccalaureate (IB) schools will begin March 14 and end April 1.
Many schools will have more applicants than open spaces. Students will be selected for these schools by a random lottery in the spring.
For more information or to register, visit DeKalb County’s School Choice page.
Wetland ecology class for high-school credit
High-school students looking for a hands-on science experience can still apply for the wetland ecology class at Fernbank’s Advanced Studies program. Unfortunately, coordinator Denise Savage said that’s the only class with spaces for spring semester.
Denise said that the ornithology class on the schedule won’t be taught because there wasn’t enough student interest. If you have a child interested in birds — and maybe they have a few friends with a similar interest — you could contact her to see if they might reconsider that decision and open the class.
Advanced Studies classes are open to high-school students who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The classes, which are held after regular school hours, earn school credit. Students who attend DeKalb County schools can take the classes for no charge; there is a fee for those outside the county system.
Free science classes at Fernbank
High-school students can register now for the Advanced Studies after-school program at Fernbank Science Center. Classes are free of charge for any DeKalb County Schools student, and students earn course credits for taking them.
Fall 2010 classes are:
- Ornithology
- Ecosystems Alive
- Stream Ecology
- Forensic Science
In the spring semester, the program will offer:
- Ornithology
- Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles
- Wetland Ecology
- Forensic Science
The program also has classes that span the entire 2010-11 school year:
- Physics
- Forensics
- Science of Food
- Robotics and Engineering (I and II)
To register, you’ll need to download an application from the Advanced Studies web site. Students must have a GPA of at least 3.0 to qualify. With the application, you’ll need to submit a recommendation from a science teacher, have your school counselor submit a transcript, and write a brief essay about why you want to enroll in the class.
Ms. Savage, who handles registration, says the program has no deadline, but classes fill up quickly. (One class, chemistry, is already closed.) If you have questions, you can reach her at (678) 874-7107.
Gifted Atlanta 